Liverpool and Manchester United suffered a shocking blow by PSG for Leny Yoro. The Les Parisiens edged closer to securing Yoro move.
The Manchester and The Merseyside Reds will be missing out on the young French defender. The two clubs were heavily in contention for Yoro. Real Madrid are also in the race for signing the 18-year old. However, PSG are willing to met Lille’s asking price for Yoro and could end up signing him ahead of The Red Devils and The Reds.
Who is Leny Yoro?
Leny Yoro has been a revelation over the course of this season. He has been dubbed as the next “William Saliba”. The 18-year old defender made 44 appearances in all competitions for Lille this season. Yoro helped Lille secure the Ligue 1 season with 59 points finishing 4th, qualifying directly for the UEFA Europa League next season. Unfortunately, Lille fell 3 points short of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League.
Lille’s boss Paulo Fonesca was all praise for the young Frenchman stating:
“It’s not normal to have an 18-year-old player like Leny with this maturity and the technical qualities he has, for me, he will be one of the best central defenders in France and probably in Europe. He is very balanced, and there is no doubt that he will be a very great player.”
The French international’s physical fitness and ground coverage are at impressive levels. The 18-year old is well experienced for his age and is brave and comfortable on the ball.
Although PSG have made an advance for Yoro, the defender prefers Madrid over the French Champions.
Why do Liverpool and Manchester United want Yoro?
After Jurgen Klopp’s departure, Arne Slot has officially taken over Liverpool. However, The Reds will witness multiple changes in the squad and staff accordingly.
For instance, Joel Matip will be leaving after his contract expires. Virgil Van Dijk, Jarell Quansah, Joe Gomez and Ibrahima Konate will be the remaining Liverpool center-backs. Jarell Quansah is still young and inexperienced. Moreover, Konate is good but injury prone and Gomez plays as a utility and squad rotation player. In this case, signing a young prolific center-back like Leny Yoro would be instrumental in Liverpool’s rebuild under Slot!
Manchester United’s defense has been absolutely catastrophic this season. Additionally, the injuries endured by The Red Devils are mammoth in number! Erik Ten Hag had no options to play as center-back in the last few games of the season. Unsurprisingly, Casemiro and Amrabat were asked to fill in as central defenders.
United are undergoing a transition under INEOS. Also, Raphael Varane will leave the Old Trafford as a free agent. Moreover, The Red Devils want Nice’s Jean Clair-Todibo as a defensive option. Manchester United were also in the race for Tosin Adarabioyo’s signature. However, it seems that Adarabioyo will likely move to Newcastle instead.
The Red Devils are seriously looking to restructure and reform their defense. United could also consider signing England international Jarrad Branthwaite who is valued for £80 million by Everton. Manchester City and Tottenham are also lurking in on the 21-year old.
However, Leny Yoro could be a very good option for United. His future appears to be bright and the French international has enough experience that could establish him as an Old Trafford great!
Where will Leny Yoro go?
While Manchester United, Liverpool and Real Madrid are racing for Yoro, The Les Parisiens are in the lead. PSG submitted a bid of £43 million which Lille have accepted.
Moreover, Real Madrid are still in the hunt. The Los Blancos have convinced Leny Yoro of their project. But, Lille are in need of capital and could sell Yoro to Paris.
Although the defender’s next club is still a mystery, Manchester United and Liverpool could secure Yoro move if they match Lille’s demands.
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